3 posts from May 2016

On Saturday, May 14, the CIEE Alumni Washington, D.C. Chapter went on an adventure to Massachusetts Ave, attempting to visit the 14 embassies there during the European Union Embassies' Open House day. We are happy to report that the group of eight alumni managed to visit 7 of the embassies on that busy day: Portugal, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Spain, Poland, and Lithuania. The embassies offered a taste of their countries' main dishes and drinks alongside cultural information and performances. After an exciting day of embassy-hopping, the group had dinner together at Ankara, where they enjoyed good Turkish food and hospitality.

NEWS THIS MONTH

CIEE Teach Abroad Announces New Programs

CIEE Teach Abroad is excited to announce new program opportunities in the Czech Republic, Morocco, and Senegal. Improve your language skills and build your resume while teaching English in one of these new locations. CIEE's TEFL course will prepare you to be a successful teacher wherever you choose to teach English as a foreign language. CIEE's 150-hour TEFL course is included in the Czech Republic, Morocco, and Senegal teach abroad programs - a $1,000 value! Learn more by visiting the Teach Abroad and TEFL websites!

CIEE's Matthew Redman Talks About All Things 'Gap Year' in "Forbes"

Matthew Redman, CIEE's VP of Global High School Abroad and Teach Abroad Programs, engaged in a Q & A exchange with "Forbes" contributor Chris Teare. In the article, Matthew talks about the benefits of taking a gap year and how it's really a 'year on' rather than a 'year off.' Read the full article on "Forbes."

Newsmakers: "The Daily Journal" Features Global Navigator Teens

Vineland High School was the talk of "The Daily Journal" last week. The school boasts eight students accepted to study abroad through CIEE Global Navigator High School programs with scholarships. Students will be traveling to Italy, Spain, Mexico, France, and Germany. Read the full article on "The Daily Journal" to learn more.

CIEE Alumni Awarded Fulbright Grants

The CIEE Study Abroad center in Guanajuato, Mexico announced that three of their alumni from the 2014-2015 academic year were awarded Fulbright grants. Laura Hoppe, a student from the University of Minnesota Morris, is headed to Bogotá, Colombia to teach English at the Universidad de San Buenaventura. While studying abroad through CIEE, Laura gained experience teaching English at a girls' shelter and was inspired to visit Colombia by a fellow exchange student from the country. Natalie Anderson of Albion College will return to Mexico with her Fulbright award. She will spend nine months as an English instructor and pursue research on the indigenous groups and culture - a topic that she became interested in while studying abroad. Suzanna Shugert, a student at Colorado State University, will also be returning to Mexico as a Fulbright Scholar.

A 2012 CIEE Madrid Legal Studies Program alum has also recently been awarded a Fulbright grant. Lauren Rutherford of Villanova University will spend nine months in Bogotá, Colombia conducting research on the laws surrounding women's reproductive rights in the country. Her internship at Women's Link Worldwide in Madrid, arranged as part of her CIEE Study Abroad program, was essential in helping Lauren determine next steps for her career. The internship offered practical experience in the legal field working with women lawyers on cases related to women's issues in Latin America. In July, she will journey to Colombia and apply her skills as a Fulbright Scholar. Congratulations to all of our alumni Fulbright awardees!

Study Abroad Alum Has Article Published on "Go World Travel"

Paula Naoufal had a unique multicultural experience studying abroad through CIEE in Prague in 2015. Being the only non-American student on her program allowed Paula to observe both American and Czech culture. In January, she was inspired to write "Three Cultures, One City" for "Go World Travel" and recently wrote another article about travel in Lebanon. Read our interview with Paula on the blog.

UPCOMING EVENTS

CIEE St. Petersburg Annual Alumni Weekend

The CIEE Saint Petersburg Study Center will be having its annual Alumni Weekend from May 6-8. There will be events such as welcome and farewell reception dinners, the Spring Ball, a trip to Peterhof, and a discussion with current CIEE students.

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ALUM OF THE MONTH

Maxim Strelnikov, CIEE Work & Travel USA 2014 / 2015

Maxim Strelnikov is an alum from Moscow, Russia who was involved with CIEE in many ways over the years. He first participated in the CIEE Work & Travel USA program when he spent the summer of 2014 as a boat instructor at Lake Powell. He returned the next summer to work as a Participant Services Coordinator at CIEE global headquarters in Portland, Maine. In addition, he joined other CIEE Work & Travel USA participants at the annual CIEE Civic Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Maxim was at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow promoting American culture and tourism. Visit the blog to read his story.

ALUMNI VOICES

Excerpts from recently published alumni stories:

“I learned so much from this program. I became more responsible--with time, friends, money, and of my own well-being. Although I lived with the host family and they took care of me like their own child, I was also very free, and many things were up to me. It was up to me how to live my life and how to have a great gap year.” -Mei Matsuo (Gap Year Abroad) >>Read her story

@CIEEALUMNI

From left: CIEE Work & Travel USA alum Maxim meets U.S. Ambassador to Russia, John Tefft; thinking about Beijing for #TravelTuesday; and CIEE students in Seville did a creative photo-shoot for Earth Day to make us think, "Do you really need a plastic bag?"